


The Crazy Child

by writteninweakness



Category: Amnesia (Game & Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Minor Character Death, Orion is human, Pre-Relationship, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-18 12:14:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21560980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writteninweakness/pseuds/writteninweakness
Summary: When Orion is the only one banished to Earth, Nhil entrusts his custody to Kent. Kent is not exactly pleased by this turn of events.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	The Crazy Child

**Author's Note:**

> This is a piece I started forever ago and never finished into a full length story. I love the idea, but at the time I had two things in progress (I believe they actually are the same things that are still in progress now, *sigh*) and so I set it aside and just never managed to pick it back up. Since I no longer have a tumblr to display it or the [cover art](https://writteninweakness.blogspot.com/2019/11/cover-art-for-au-kent-orion-and-heroine.html) I made for it, I decided to post it here. It can still be read, maybe someday I will expand it, but if not, this part is still available.

* * *

“You cannot be serious,” Kent said, looking up from the paper before him in disbelief. He faced each woman in turn, trying to find some sign of the prank they must be pulling. Was there a video camera somewhere? “This is absurd. And this document cannot possibly be legal. I… do not even know this man, and he is dumping his child on me?”

“Hey,” the boy protested, looking up from his knees with wide eyes that brimmed with tears. “He didn’t dump me on anyone. He’s gone. And… you’re mean. Do I have to stay with him? I hate him.”

Kent chose to ignore the ignorance in that statement. The child did not know him, so how could he hate him? Even if he did, it was not important. This document must be false. Kent could not see how a man he’d never met could have appointed him legal guardian of his son. He did not know Kent, could not know his suitability—or complete lack thereof—for such an assignment.

Had he somehow chosen Kent at random? That did not agree with what he said, but Kent did not see how any of that could be true.

_Kent,_

_I know this will seem sudden, but I must entrust my Orion to someone, and having seen so much and so many worlds, you are the one I feel best suited to care for Orion’s unique needs. He is a rare child, much more than you can imagine now, and he needs someone with your knowledge and intelligence to support him as he grows._

_I know this is best for him. You will see it, too, in time._

_Nhil_

Kent shook his head. “I don’t know this person. I’ve never heard of anyone named Nhil, at least not spelled in such a manner. Certain famous astronauts do come to mind, but they are not the same person. Why would he leave his child with me, a stranger? This makes no sense.”

“It does when you know Nhil was a god and I was a spirit and now he’s gone and I’m human.”

Kent blinked. “What? Are you… I suppose this is some kind of hyperactive fantasy life you’ve developed for yourself to cope with your situation.”

The boy gaped at him in disbelief.

Kent ignored it and turned to the social worker. “I think this boy needs more care than I am capable of giving him.”

“We do have a child psychologist we can refer you to.”

Kent looked at the lawyer and the social worker in turn. “You are acting as though this document is a binding agreement.”

“According to that, you have custody of Orion. It’s quite clear, and valid in the eyes of the state.”

“I doubt that, and I will consult my own lawyer on the matter.” Kent rose and went for the door, shaking his head as he did. This was rather unbelievable.

“Wait, where are you going? You can’t leave me here. Kent, I didn’t mean it when I said I hated you. The truth is you were good to her, you really were, and those worlds while awkward at first were nice in the end, and you… you don’t remember me so I got mad at you, but don’t go,” Orion said, flinging himself at Kent’s legs, much to his dismay. Once again, his ramblings made no sense at all. “Please. I’ll be good.”

Kent frowned. “You… are an excessively strange child.”

“But you’ll keep me, right? Please? Nhil chose you for a reason, and it’s a good one, and I don’t want to be alone in that place again. It’s creepy.”

Kent had a feeling this child had some sort of psychological issue, and it was unlikely he’d get proper care for it in the foster system or an orphanage. If he was left untreated and did someone harm, Kent might well be responsible for it.

“Very well. I will see to it you see a mental health professional.”

“What? I’m not crazy.”

“That I highly doubt.”

* * *

“Oh, it’s your house. You still live with your parents. Did you go to London in this world? There were so many I don’t know which one is which, but you’re smart in all of them, so there is that. It would be weird if you weren’t.”

Kent gave him that look again, and Orion winced. He really did think Orion was crazy, and Orion knew he had to stop saying so much about the other worlds, but he was kind of used to a Kent that knew all about him, and so he kept talking to Kent thinking it was the same. It was kind of exciting to have Kent hear and see him for a change, too.

“I went to London. I have since returned. It was impractical to rent somewhere else when my parents still had space and I had no particular reason to have a home of my own.”

“Oh, you’re single here, huh? Hmm. I wonder which one of you she ended up with in this world. Do you still talk to Ikki?”

Kent eyed him with suspicion again. “I take it this Nhil did research on me and gave it to you prior to his death, but I would prefer it if you did not speak of matters you have no knowledge of. You are a very unsettling child, and I do not like that we have to wait until tomorrow to have your mental state evaluated.”

Orion grimaced. He really had to stop talking so much about the other worlds. Wait, did this mean Kent and Ikki weren’t friends here? That was weird. They were so close in all the other worlds, no matter who her boyfriend was.

Kent unlocked the door and went inside. Orion followed him and smiled to himself at all the familiar sights. This was almost like being home again, since she’d felt so comfortable here by the end of Orion’s time with her.

Kent took out his phone. “I have to cancel for tonight. No, Ikkyu, I do not have a date. Very funny. The world would not end if I did. No, not if you didn’t, either. You have already been drinking. I think I am relieved to have an excuse not to join you.”

Orion smiled with relief. So they were friends here. That was good.

“If I told you that some random stranger willed me a child that appears to be insane—no, I have not developed a sense of humor. That’s inaccurate. I already had one, it was simply that others do not understand my jokes. You are not amusing. No. And no. That’s both physically impossible and disgusting. Kindly refrain from making those kinds of suggestions.”

Orion tried not to laugh. Kent’s frustration shouldn’t be funny, but it was.

“I will not, and no, Ikkyu. I am not taking this already damaged child over to see you while you’re intoxicated. He does not need further trauma.”

Orion wished he could hear Ikki’s response to that, but then Kent hung up and looked back at him. He didn’t think smiling was a good idea.

“Um, so...”

“They did not allow me to make an appointment for you until the morning. Apparently they do not have emergency services for mental issues, which seems to be a problem.”

“I am not crazy, Kent. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Kent did not seem convinced. “I suppose I will have to prepare a place for you to sleep.”

“Are we going to have dinner with your parents?”

Kent winced. “I do not know why you even know to ask about them, but if he gave you information about them, why is it so incomplete?”

“What?”

He went to the door at the end of the hall and pushed it open. “Use this room for now.”

Orion peeked inside. “Kent, this is a closet.”

“It is large enough to accommodate a futon and has a window. There is nothing of value for you to damage in it, unlike other rooms. It will suffice for now.”

Orion bit his lip, having now realized something about the way Kent reacted to his question about his parents. He went over to Kent and hugged him, making him stiffen up under his touch. “I’m sorry.”

“This is not a punishment, and I will not change my mind before I have had a chance to properly pack away the things in the other room. The lab is still off limits, and Mother’s office as well and… Just stick to this room and the other necessary places on the ground floor. That should not be a problem. Now get off of me.”

“I’m sorry about your parents. They were nice people.”

“You did not know them, so don’t say that. And let go of me already. I have to go prepare some kind of food for you. Who knows when they last fed you? I suppose I should have asked...”

Orion sighed, reluctantly letting go so he could follow Kent into the kitchen.

* * *

“Everything you make is delicious.”

Kent frowned, looking back at the child again. This one kept behaving so oddly he could not compare it with any others he ever knew, not that he had many samples to work with. He had never been particularly good with children, and his height seemed to intimidate some of the younger ones. Ikkyu kept threatening to have a bunch of kids and make him their babysitter, but as his relationships still tended to end quickly, that seemed rather unlikely.

“You have had one meal I prepared.”

“That’s not true. I had so many at the cafe and—”

“Enough. I never worked in a cafe. Now to bed with you.”

“It’s still light out.”

“Then go and have a bath first. By the time you are done with that, you should be tired enough.” Kent started to gather up the dishes from their meal, and to his surprise, the boy picked up his own, taking them into the kitchen. He frowned when he reached the sink, standing on his toes to put them in the sink with a smile.

“I can help wash them, too, if you want.”

Kent pointed to the dishwasher. His parents would not have wasted time on washing them by hand, though at times it seemed more practical to him now that he was on his own. He felt it again, that sense that this house was too large alone, and yet he had not had a proper room to offer the child.

He had yet to box up and remove his parents’ things from their rooms. It had not seemed necessary when there was only him here and he did not need to take their space away even if they no longer used it. He had his own rooms. Using theirs was an unnecessary violation.

Though if the boy was to be here for much longer, that would have to change. He might clear out their bedroom upstairs. Their clothes were not necessary, after all, and he did not need to hold onto things he did not have a use for. He did not even think that his father’s things would fit him. Even if they did, why would he wear them? They were not his.

Kent lowered his head. Such thoughts were foolish. If he could make use of them, he should. They should not be wasted. That was impractical, and yet the idea of wearing his father’s clothes or even discarding his mother’s was surprisingly difficult to tolerate.

“Kent? Is something wrong?”

He looked over at the child, not sure how he’d betrayed himself to the boy and not liking that he had. “It is nothing. We are finished now, and it would be better for you to rest. I… I do not have anything of interest to a child here, nor did my parents. You will have to amuse yourself, I suppose, as I forgot to see to that. Perhaps after your appointment tomorrow we should acquire something useful. Hmm… I know they did not keep any of my early experiments or lab equipment…”

“Why would I want your lab equipment?”

Kent blinked. “That was how I entertained myself. That and reading and creating math problems. The ones I made were always far too easy for my father to solve, but I kept trying to make one that would be a challenge for him.”

Orion frowned. “Um… Can I ask what happened to your parents?”

“They’re dead. Nothing else need be said about that. I have work to do and will be upstairs in my room. You should not need anything, but if you do, it is the first door on the right. Do not enter the one on the left.”

“Why not? Is there breakable or dangerous stuff in there?”

“No. It… That was my parents’ room. Their things are not properly stored away. Leave it alone.”

“Okay. I won’t move anything. I just wanted to know.”

Kent frowned at him again, but he chose to say nothing, leaving the child behind for the solitude of his own room. He did not know why that man thought he could do this, but he knew he could not. As soon as Orion had seen the psychologist and arrangements were made to see to his mental health, Kent would turn him over to someone else, someone better suited to caring for a child.

* * *

“They did send you with a change of clothes, didn’t they? Why are you wearing the same sweater?” Kent asked, sounding frustrated again. Orion supposed he wouldn’t understand if he explained that it felt really strange without his horns and he needed the hoodie to make it better.

“It’s my favorite. Didn’t you ever wear the same clothes because you liked them best before?”

“I wore the same coat every day, but that is different. Whether or not the garment was clean was what mattered, not whether or not I liked it,” Kent said, and Orion grimaced. He kept getting this wrong, and if he wasn’t careful, Kent would convince this psychologist that he was crazy and get rid of him. He had to do better so he could stay with Kent.

Kent parked the car in front of the building and frowned again, apparently not thinking much of the office they were going to. Orion got out of the car, following him inside to the reception desk.

“We have an appointment.”

The lady at the desk handed him paperwork, and Kent took it with a frown. “Did they not supply any of this information before?”

“You’re his guardian.”

“As of yesterday. I do not have any of the pertinent information.” Kent looked at Orion. “Do you know any of this?”

Orion looked at the form. It seemed pretty intimidating. He filled in his name and then frowned helplessly. He wasn’t human, so he didn’t have a date of birth. As far as he knew, he was perfectly healthy, but he’d never been human before, so it was kind of hard to tell.

“There,” he said, passing it back for Kent to frown again, the scary almost angry frown. He was really not happy right now.

“I will get any records I can from the social worker. I had been under the impression they were sending that when they let you know we’d be arranging an appointment. They did not give all of that to me, and the situation was… It was overlooked in the chaos.”

The lady made a face and walked off with the clipboard. Kent rubbed his forehead like he had a headache. Orion looked down at his feet. This really was awkward.

A few minutes of tense silence later, she came back and opened the door, leading them down the hallway. She opened a door and waved them in, barely waiting for Orion to get through it before shutting it behind them.

Orion frowned. He couldn’t see anyone at the desk. “Hello?”

“Just a second. I dropped my pencil.”

He frowned, and he could tell Kent wasn’t impressed, but that wasn’t what was bothering Orion. That voice sounded funny under the desk, but it was almost familiar, too.

She stood, and he smiled widely as she did, running to her and hugging her tight. “Oh, it’s you. I’m so glad. I didn’t know if I’d see you again. And I missed you so much. It’s so strange being on my own again after being with you for that month.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, prying him off of her. “You’re very sweet, but I don’t believe we’ve ever met. I’m Kokoa. Why don’t you tell me your name?”

Oh, yeah. That was one of her names in some of the worlds, though she did have lots of others. Her parents didn’t always name her the same thing. Still, it did hurt that she didn’t remember him.

“His name is Orion. They have given him my surname on the paperwork, though I am not certain why. Did they tell you nothing of his situation?”

“I have a few notes, but I prefer to make my own assessment of anyone I meet.”

“Hmm. That is not necessarily an improper approach. Surprisingly professional for such a soft science.”

Kokoa’s smile seemed very forced. “If you feel that way about psychology, why are you here?”

“For the child, of course. He seems to create… false memories or bonds with people on a regular basis. He insists he knows me and met my parents when I had never met him before and they died last year. The social worker said it was to do with the loss of his father, he’s creating a sense of familiarity for himself, but it seems rather problematic that he’d do that with complete strangers.”

Orion started to say he did know Kent, but Kent wouldn’t accept that. He knew that much.

“Orion. That’s a nice name. Why don’t you sit down and we’ll talk for a bit, okay?”

He nodded. He’d like to be able to see her if he could, even if he didn’t like everyone thinking he was crazy.

* * *

“So, let’s talk a bit about your situation,” Kokoa began. “You recently lost your father, right? Can you tell me about him?”

Orion swallowed. He’d told Kent a bit, and Kent hadn’t believed him, and since she didn’t remember him, either, she wouldn’t. If he explained that Nhil was a god and all that, she really would think he was crazy. “Um… No.”

“That’s okay. It can be difficult to talk about someone we’ve lost. What about after he died? Can you talk about what that’s been like?”

“Well, they took me to an orphanage when I first got there, and I told them I didn’t belong because I had Nhil, but I guess Nhil’s punishment was worse than mine, and so I couldn’t get anyone to believe me, but I found a letter in my bag that was sealed and notarized and they read that one and said ‘thank goodness, this one has a guardian,’ so then they tracked down Kent and gave me to him. It took a couple days. That was not fun. That orphanage is not a nice place, and people kept grabbing my horns.”

“Your horns?”

“If his hood is up, it looks almost like he has horns.”

“Oh.” She smiled. “I bet that looks cute.”

“I’m adorable,” Orion said, quite proud of it. “Anyway, they got me to Kent, and Kent thought they didn’t have a real document, and I assumed he’d check it with his mom because she was a lawyer, only I didn’t know his mom was gone, and he wasn’t going to take me at first but I begged him to, so he did. He gave me the room to sleep in and fed me really good food because Kent’s a good cook. And he brought me here this morning.”

“I see.”

Kent folded his arms over his chest. “The boy claimed his father was a god and he was a spirit, among his other delusions. I did not think it wise to let him remain in an orphanage where he would likely not have these mental issues treated.”

“I am not crazy. Kokoa, tell him I’m not crazy. It’s just that Kent’s so logical, and he doesn’t have your amnesia to convince him I’m real, so he’s not able to accept the whole god spirit thing.”

She blinked. “My amnesia? Mr. Mizutani and I just met, and I’ve never suffered from amnesia.”

“You wouldn’t remember it if you did.”

Kent put a hand to his head. “That is not how amnesia works.”

Orion grimaced. He supposed they thought he was crazy again. He had to watch that. “Really, I didn’t realize it would be so hard for Kent to hear me say that kind of stuff. I’m used to the Kent that listens to me and hears me out. This Kent is a bit different, but that’s okay. I understand why Nhil chose him. Shin already had a lot of stuff he was dealing with and had to grow up too fast and didn’t need more burdens, though he would have been an okay choice even if there wasn’t ever a world where he knew about me. And Ikki had his hands full with the fan club, and I don’t know that they’d have been okay with me being with him. If it was Toma… I’d be afraid he’d put me in a cage. That’s what he does with things he wants to protect and it’s… scary. So I’m glad it’s Kent. He’s the best choice if I can’t have Nhil. Well, there was sort of one other option, but then he doesn’t exist in all the worlds, and there is another issue and—”

“Well, it is good you’re glad to be with Mr. Mizutani.”

“No, it is not,” Kent disagreed, and she frowned over at him. “This situation is not and cannot be permanent. I am the last person anyone would pick to raise a child, and certainly not one with emotional issues.”

“That sounds rather—”

“My colleagues frequently call me things along the lines of ‘an unfeeling robot’ and the rumor that I am somehow not human has only increased in popularity since my parents died and I did not show enough grief to satisfy them. I tried to explain that it is the natural order of things and death happens and showing an excess of emotion over the matter is… impractical, but I am inhuman and possibly a sociopath according to some.”

She winced. “That’s… I doubt they even understand the term properly.”

“I have no interest in debating semantics or labels. The child needs some form of help he will not get from me, and they recommended you, but you hardly seem equal to the task.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, not this again,” Orion said, wincing. These two were really bad at communicating, at least at first. “Can’t you two ever get along easy in the beginning?”

“Orion, we just met.”

He grimaced. That really wasn’t a good sign, was it? Or wait, maybe it was. Maybe this was another world where Kokoa and Kent actually belonged together. He looked at her hand. Okay, no ring, so maybe she was single, just like Kent.

Orion could fix this. Maybe that was even why he’d been sent here.

Of course, he’d have to find a way to convince them both he wasn’t crazy, but he’d do it. He’d make sure they were all happy again. Together this time.


End file.
